School staff laid off

May 9, 2006

JOEL DAVIDSON

Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - The Mat-Su School District sent out &#8220pink slips” Monday to all 260-day (12-month) classified employees in what it says is an effort to balance the fiscal year 2007 budget.

Classified Employee Association President Ron Rucker represents the employees who received the pink slips. Rucker has stated publicly that the union believes the layoffs are premature. At the most recent Mat-Su School Board meeting, Rucker urged chief school administrator Bob Doyle to reconsider the layoffs until the school district has a better idea of what its final budget will be.

Rucker pointed to the fact that state legislators had added $41 million to Gov. Frank Murkowski's proposed increase for education funding next year, money that Rucker said might be used to avert layoffs.

The district, however, maintains that the proposed increased funding for education will only bring about $3.4 million more into the district, most of which is only a one-time, one-year increase. Even with the added money, the district still has a $6.4 million deficit to make up, said district information specialist Kim Floyd.

Approximately 80 central office employees are among those to be laid off, some as early as May 22. The layoffs will result in a districtwide July &#8220shutdown,” a move the district hopes will save approximately $450,000.

The district originally proposed reducing all 260-day classified employees to 240 days as part of its fiscal year 2007 financial plan, which was adopted by the board March 22. At that time, approximately $5.8 million in cuts were being considered due to increases in costs for state retirement, employee health insurance, utilities and other costs.

In addition to those costs, the district learned last month that it would receive about $4 million less in special-education funding than it originally expected from the state next year. According to state officials, the district had wrongly interpreted the state's standards for which students qualify for intensive funding for special education. Under the state's understanding, the district would qualify for approximately 150 fewer intensive-funded students next year.

Leaders for the Classified Employees Association challenged the district's plan to reduce the number of work days for 12-month employees and have filed a grievance to that effect. In a March 20 letter to the district, union representative Vince Speranza stated that the district's only option under the existing contract is to lay off people or eliminate positions.

While the district maintains its right to reduce the number of work days, it chose layoffs instead to avert any possible legal action by CEA.

On Monday, the district also issued layoff notices to nearly 100 custodians in anticipation of the July 1 implementation of the NANA Management Services contract for custodial services and light maintenance, as well as to assessment aides, some special-education aides, and activity bus drivers.

District officials claim that all actions are tied to restructuring efforts that they say are required to balance the budget.

Employees who were laid off will be recalled on a priority basis, with the earliest slated for July 31. Some positions, however, may be eliminated entirely.

Contact Joel Davidson at

352-2266 or joel.davidson@

frontiersman.com.